Songs In The Key of Longing
by anne-terne
Summary: Alexander's back ... (Post Oynx - Chapter Four Posted)
1. Best Intentions

Summary: Alexander's back ... (Post Oynx)  
Disclaimer: These characters belong to DC Comics as interpreted by GoughMillar Ink. No copyright infringement is intended.  
Reviews: All types are longed for and appreciated. 

Songs in the Key of Longing - Chapter One

* * *

His intention was to destroy them. 

The last two chunks of meteor rocks in Luthorcorp's possession, one green, the other red and Lex made sure Clark was nearby to watch as they were disintegrated, this time safely and for good.

Or at least he tried to make sure their destruction would be safe and permanent

Lex had so wanted to make things right again after his split into two personalities, one, just Lex, the other, a madman named Alexander. A madman who'd done so many unspeakable things that, fortunately, Lex couldn't remember, but in his heart he knew great damage had been done, most of it to his uneasy friendship with Clark.

He'd gotten hints of what havoc Alexander caused here and there, from Chloe's cold brusqueness to the Kent's uncomfortable silence around him, but the wary way Clark watched him when he thought Lex wasn't looking, hurt the worst.

Lex wanted to do something, make some grand gesture as a way of showing that Alexander was dead, exorcised from his soul, but there was little he could do, besides destroy the last vestiges of the dangerous material that had set the evil creature loose.

And make sure Clark knew that he wouldn't be coming back. Not ever again.

With a sigh, Lex put on his safety glasses. "Are the shields raised?" he asked the attending scientist, who gave him a thumbs up in reply.

He'd walled off the entire lab with lead shielding, along with huge sheets of indestructible plexiglass, a foot thick. There was not going to be a screw-up this time, there just couldn't be ... he wouldn't allow there to be.

Turning around, Lex gave a thumbs up to Clark, who nodded back. A thin droplet of sweat trickled down his neck, but Lex kept a big smile glued to his face, even as Clark stuffed his hands more deeply into his jeans pockets and turned a cold eye on the procedure.

Lex hadn't seen his friend smile in weeks, especially not at him. The easy banter they'd shared over the years had turned into stiff conversations about the weather and about when Lex might finish the cleanup of the Luthorcorp Science Department for good. Not pushy, but not friendly either -- the coolness emanating from Clark was worse than any yelling, Lex thought.

But maybe ... maybe after he'd proved his intention to make things right, maybe Clark could relax again and their friendship would be the stronger for it.

Maybe.

"Proceed," Lex ordered his employee, who set to work heating up the lasers. A three point shot straight into the center of each rock, a triangle of destruction and nothing would go wrong this time. He'd calibrated everything himself, twice, to make sure, not trusting anyone else to do the job. His degree from the Princeton science department had to be good for something, Lex hoped.

"On five," the scientist intoned and Lex watched intently. "One ... two ... three..."

Behind Lex, Clark was leaning forward as if to capture the moment and Lex was just about to say something to him, something encouraging or funny or anything to lighten the moment, when it happened.

Again.

But much worse than the last time. Lex's last coherent thought was that a bachelor's from Princeton must be good for exactly nothing as the laser malfunctioned, heating up enough to make both rocks glow, but only shattering the red one. The green meteor heated, then superheated and changed into that dark rock Lex never had wanted to see again -- a black meteor.

The lead shielding did little but bounce the meteor matter around like a bullet ricocheting, shattering the foot-thick Plexiglass like a cheap wine glass.

Lex felt one of the black beams hit him hard in the chest. He staggered then fell -- it was as if someone had dropped a safe on his ribcage.

God, no, not again, Lex thought, feeling once again the split begin. That awful, ripping sensation of his soul being torn in two separate entities ... himself and the loathsome other -- Alexander.

He tried to crawl away while he was still somewhat whole, but his arms and legs were useless. From the corner of one eye, Lex was horrified to see that a writhing Clark had also been hit by something and he could hear his screams of pain through the haze.

I'm sorry, Clark, Lex thought miserably. I'm so, so sorry.

An acrid smell of smoke and burning fibers filled Lex's nostrils. Swallowing hard, he could taste the bitter copper of blood in the back of his throat. Above him a hazy, leering face wavered in and out of Lex's view but before he could shake himself back to complete consciousness, the face that looked liked a mirror reflection mouthed two words, the sneer obvious on his face.

"Nighty-night," smirked Alexander, before bringing his fist down and plunging Lex's world into darkness.

* * *

tbc ...

Reviews are what makes the keyboard whirr.


	2. Company

Summary: Alexander's back ... (Post Oynx)  
Disclaimer: These characters belong to DC Comics as interpreted by GoughMillar Ink. No copyright infringement is intended.  
Reviews: All types are longed for and appreciated. 

Songs in the Key of Longing - Chapter Two

* * *

Waking up from the nightmare didn't improve things much. 

Lex heard the clink of chains rattling around his wrists and ankles and couldn't help the low groan that escaped. A bad dream, that's what this had to be but when he dared to open his eyes a crack and squint through the gloom of the castle's huge wine cellar he saw a familiar visage.

His own.

Not exactly his own -- Alexander's to be precise. Unfortunately, the visage was smiling wildly. "You _are _pathetic," Alexander purred, almost lovingly. "So predictable too."

Lex grimaced, but rattled one of the chains defiantly. He was good at defiance. He'd had a lot of practice at it. "And you're not?" he rasped. "I think we've been through this scenario before."

"Not exactly," Alexander corrected. He nodded toward a nearby corner, where to Lex's horror, he saw a slumped-over body, chained as he was. "You have company this time."

"Clark?" Lex gasped, automatically crawling over the dirty floor toward his friend. The chains stopped him just before he reached his destination and Lex tugged furiously on them, trying futilely to gain another foot or two. "Clark!"

"Not the best company, true, but I'm sure you two will have plenty to talk about during your extended stay." Alexander smirked. "Because Clark really has the most _interesting _tales to tell ... when he's in the mood for sharing them."

"Let him go," Lex pleaded. Normally, he never begged, not even for his own life, but this ... this was Clark. He had to try. "He's just a kid."

"Oh, please," Alexander said, examining his shirt cuff with a bored expression. "Even you don't believe that. Besides, I have actual proof that our dear Clark, captain of the local football squad, hopeless farmboy and all around good guy is much, much more than just a kid. But, don't take my word for it. Someone else is here who knows him much better than I do. Ask him about our Clark."

"Who? Who's here?" Lex asked, his skin growing cold with dread. This couldn't be good. "Who's here!" he cried out. "Come out and let me see you."

A tall figure stepped out from the dark shadows. "You rang?" it rumbled and Lex nearly passed out at the sight.

It was Clark. But ... it wasn't Clark. The eyes, they were different somehow. Hard and glittering and cruel, with a distinctive red tint tainting the whites.

Shocked, Lex glanced at the Clark on the floor beside him, then back up to this different Clark. "Who ... who are you?"

The red-eyed Clark smiled. "Who am I? Or what am I? That is the real $64,000 question. But as for my name ... I like to go by Kal. It has a better ring than 'Clark', don't you think?"

"He doesn't think," Alexander interjected with a short laugh. "That's his problem."

If Kal was impressed or intimidated by Alexander, he certainly didn't show it, Lex noted with some hope. "Kal, listen to me," he told the Clark clone carefully, nodding toward Alexander."You can't trust him. He's a liar, a cheat and a murderer. I should know, he's lived inside of me for my entire life. If you side with him you're taking your life into your hands. Don't do it."

A slow smile curved Kal's lips. He raised his arm and in his hand was a thick iron bar, a leftover from some renovation or another Lex recently had done. With the slightest squeeze of his fingers, the bar bent, then broke in half.

"I don't think his personality flaws are going to be an issue," Kal said, letting the pieces of iron fall to the ground where they landed with a _clank_!. "Besides, no one's perfect."

He laughed loudly at this. Alexander joined in and Lex swallowed the bile rising in his throat. "You're not going to get away with this."

"We don't plan on getting away with anything, Pinky," Alexander said, patting Lex on the head, then jumping out of the way of a furious punch Lex threw his way. "That was my mistake the last time. But now, with Kal by my side, we can just take over this planet without all the preambles. Laws don't apply to us. _Nothing _applies to us anymore."

"I think you're going to find world domination more difficult than you think," Lex replied. "And if the world fighting back isn't your undoing, sharing it with _him _definitely will be. We were never very good at sharing, were we, Alex?"

"I almost feel bad for you, Lex. This has been your plan all along, to rule the world, you just didn't want to admit it. And now, you're going to miss all the fun," Alexander said, ignoring his last remark. "Maybe I'll send you a postcard from the White House. It'll say: 'Wish you were here -- NOT!" he laughed.

"Are we done here?" Kal asked impatiently. "I don't see why we can't just get rid of them."

Alexander sighed deeply. "Good thing you're not the brains of the operation, sweetheart. How about letting me do the thinking and you stick to the heavy lifting. Okay?"

Kal's eyes narrowed dangerously, but he didn't reply, Lex noticed as a little bit of hope rose in his heart. "You can't get rid of us because there's no guarantee you'll survive our deaths," Lex said quietly. He looked up at Kal, keeping his tone even. "I don't know if he's mentioned that to you. There are probably a whole bunch of things he hasn't told you. There are probably things only Clark can tell you, things that I can't. It's in your best interest to keep us both alive ... Kal."

But Kal only rolled his eyes impatiently. Lex noted that Clark's other half didn't seem particularly evil, persay, but he was impatient -- and ambitious. Greedy too, maybe, but there was a slim hope this one could be reasoned with, at least more readily than Alexander.

That was if a being with such incredible powers would ever bother to listen to the puny creatures surrounding him.

God, Clark, Lex thought miserably. Why didn't you tell me?

"Come on," Alexander said, with a tug to Kal's sleeve. "The world awaits."

Kal glanced between Clark and Lex. "Do they have whatever it is they need to stay alive?"

"More or less," Alexander shrugged, tapping a bucket filled with questionable liquid with his foot. Next to the bucket was a box, filled with various mangled foodstuffs. "It's not gourmet fare, but Lex is good at slumming it. Aren't you, Lex?"

Lex didn't answer him. He kept his attention focused on Kal. "I don't know how badly Clark is hurt. You might want to ascertain that before you leave."

Kal snorted. "He's tougher than he looks. I'm sure he just got the wind knocked out of him. He may be a wimp, but he's a special kind of wimp." He turned to Alexander. "Let's go. I'm tired of waiting."

"Of course you are," Alexander replied smoothly, taking Kal by the elbow and leading him from the cellar. "Now, about that speed of yours ..."

The echo of Alexander's voice faded along with their footsteps. Lex forced himself to bite back a scream. His heart was pounding and he had to order himself to calm down -- to breathe -- before panic set in. He had two lives to save, that was if Clark was even ...

"Lex?"

Weak voice, but Lex's heart soared at the sound of it. "Clark," he said softly, edging toward his friend. He reached out and was able to touch the tips of his fingers which he held onto like a lifeline. "It's okay. I'm going to get us out of here. You rest, save your strength."

"What happened?" Clark tried to sit up, but slumped back down with a groan. Bewildered, he looked at the chains around his wrists. "What's going on?"

"There was another accident in the lab ..." Lex started to explain, but stopped mid-sentence, as he noticed something on Clark's face.

It was a spot of green fluid. Glowing green fluid.

Running down his cheek like a tear and Clark shut his eyes tightly and moaned. "Lex ... I ... I don't feel very good. I ... feel like I'm going to die."

* * *

tbc ...

Thank you for the reviews so far! They are very inspiring. I'd love to hear what you think.


	3. Truth

Summary: Alexander's back ... (Post Oynx)  
Disclaimer: These characters belong to DC Comics as interpreted by GoughMillar Ink. No copyright infringement is intended.  
Reviews: All types are longed for and appreciated. 

Songs in the Key of Longing - Chapter Three

* * *

Appalled, Lex gaped at Clark, but he quickly brought his horror under control. He smiled weakly. "Don't be silly, Clark. You're not going to die." 

"Lex ... what happened?"

"There was another accident and Alexander happened. Again. Now, shhh. You're going to be all right. I'm not going to let anything else happen to you, I promise."

Scooting as near as he could get, Lex gingerly pulled Clark toward him. Examining his stricken face, Lex pulled down his shirt cuff and wiped away the green fluid, eliciting a hiss of pain from his friend.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Lex said quickly, rubbing the shirt cuff on the floor, trying to get rid of the liquid. "Do you know what this stuff is?"

"Meteor rock ... I think it somehow got into my system after the explosion," Clark gasped. "I'm ... I'm allergic to it."

Lex wondered about that, but said only: "We can't lie to each other anymore, Clark. If we're going to survive this, we have to be completely honest, from now on. It might be too little, too late, but we don't have a choice. Not if we want to make it out of here alive."

Clark's face hardened, as more green 'tears' slipped down his cheeks. "I'm telling you, I'm allergic to it," he ground out angrily. With a groan, Clark crawled away from Lex, as far as the chains would let him. He wrapped his arms around himself and closed his eyes tightly. "Just leave me alone. This is all your fault anyway. For someone who is so hopped up on telling the truth, you sure don't practice what you preach."

That hurt. Hurt like a knife in his heart, and Lex tried to swallow past it, finding it difficult. Normally, this is where the Alexander part of him stepped up, hardening him against the pain, making him feel anger instead, but Alexander wasn't there anymore and Lex couldn't hide behind the shield of his worse half anymore.

"I try my best," Lex whispered, his voice wobbly. "I don't always do ... say ... the right thing. I know this. And I'm sorry, sorrier than you know for what's happened. I tried to make it right but I ended up just fucking things up ... again. I'm sorry, Clark. I don't know what else I can say."

"It's not just this. It's ... everything. You refuse to quit searching and examining and fooling around with things that end up destroying lives." Hoarsely. "You can't let anything go, ever. Even at the cost of our friendship."

"Your friendship means more to me than you know." Lex said, but he wondered. How much did his friendship mean to Clark?

Clark's eyes opened. They were bloodshot and watery with a greenish tint, giving Clark a shocky look. The veins along his temple and cheeks stood out, gray and sickly looking. "I'd like to believe that, Lex. I really would."

"Then please, come here and let me help you," Lex said. While there were so many thing he could say ... wanted to say ... in reply to Clark's accusations, he decided his friend's health came first. "Please."

With a shaky sigh, Clark crept closer, until they were sitting side by side. The green 'tears' had stopped flowing, but Clark's complexion remained ashen.

Reaching out, Lex carefully pulled the bucket closer, hoping Alexander had left them some water, instead of some nasty, poisonous substance. He sniffed at it, took a tiny taste and besides being stale, it appeared to be drinkable water. Feeling through his pant's pocket, Lex found the clean cotton handkerchief he kept there out of childhood habit and dipped it in the water.

He reached up to dab Clark's face with it, stopping when his friend pulled back suspiciously. "Come on, Clark. Let's call a truce, at least until we're out of here. Please?"

A noncommittal shrug, but Clark relaxed and let Lex gently wipe away trace remnants of meteor fluid from his cheeks. "I think some of might have gotten embedded in my skin from the explosion," Clark said, wincing as Lex dabbed the cool cloth against his face. "Can you see any?"

Pulling up Clark's chin with his thumb and forefinger, Lex examined Clark's face closely. In the dim light, he could see a faint glimmer of green here and there, spotting his cheeks and forehead, as if a tumbler of glitter had been spilled on him. Nothing overt, but obviously enough to trigger what must have been a violent allergy. "There's some under the top layer of skin ... tiny, tiny pieces, but nothing I can pull out. I think they'll eventually peel off. We shouldn't mess with them. It might cause more harm then good." Lex paused. "It saps your strength, doesn't it?"

Clark blinked, then set his mouth into a hard line. "Yes. It does. I won't be able to do anything until it falls off or if it falls off. How did you know about my strength? Have a brand new investigation going on?"

"No," Lex replied quietly. "Kal told me about it."

Mouth dropping open, Clark stared at Lex. The questions shot out like bullets. "Kal? You met Kal? When? Where? How ..."

"He came out of the experiment along with Alexander. They seem to have ... joined forces."

"Oh, God," Clark groaned. "Oh, God. Lex, if those two get together ..."

Lex nodded. "This world is in a lot of trouble. I know. That's why we have to work together and get out of here. Once you get your strength back ..."

"But Lex," Clark said, his voice edging toward hysteria. "I don't know if I'll have any strength left if Kal is no longer part of me. I ... I'm different, Lex. If he left me here alive, then there's a good chance I'll never get my strength back and he knows it."

Now there was a terrible thought. Lex considered it closely, even though he didn't want to. "Not necessarily. He doesn't seem like the sharpest pencil in the cup. He might just not care if you get loose. Maybe he doesn't consider you a threat, even at full strength."

"Did you destroy all the black Kryptonite?" Clark asked tiredly. "We're going to need some."

"Kryptonite? What's ..."

Angrily, Clark turned on Lex. "Kryptonite! The stuff that the meteors are made of, from the planet I came from with the meteor shower, okay? Is there any of it left? Yes or no?"

"I don't know!" Lex snapped back. His head was spinning and it wasn't the most pleasant feeling. "Maybe if you'd come clean with me about all this, oh, I don't know, four years ago, we could have a contained inventory of every piece, but as of right now, I have no idea what's been left and what's been destroyed."

"Great," Clark grumbled. "Just .. great."

Breathing hard through his nostrils, Lex tried to contain his own temper. "Another planet, huh? That's one theory I wouldn't have bought in a million years."

"You shouldn't be formulating theories about your friends anyway," Clark said stiffly. "You should just accept what they tell you."

"Yes, I should just blindly accept every piece of bullshit that gets thrown my way," Lex hissed. "That's an incredibly smart way to live one's life."

"Is your way any better? Look around, Lex. See what's happened? What will keep happening if you don't stop this stuff?"

"I like the truth!" Lex cried. "I want to know why things are the way they are. I have to know and it's unfair of you to expect me to be some idiot who never questions anything. Things happen to me, more things than to anyone else and I want to know why ... and how. I'm sorry you can't accept this part of me."

"And I'm sorry you can't accept my need to keep some parts of my life private," Clark said quietly. "I guess you and I were never meant to be friends."

Ouch. Just ... ouch, Lex thought, his throat tightening. "Please don't say that." Thickly, as tears, hot, choking ones threatened to spill. "We ... are meant to be friends. Always."

Blowing out a deep breath, Clark just shrugged. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the filthy cellar wall. "I don't want to argue anymore. Okay?"

"Right," Lex replied, taking some deep breaths of his own, calming down the pounding of his heart. At least he didn't humiliate himself by crying. Damn you, Alexander. Where are you when I need you, you hardhearted bastard? "Are you hungry? They left us some food."

"No."

"Thirsty?"

"No."

Silence followed, long moments of it. Finally ... "So, you're an alien, huh?"

"Yeah."

"That's ... pretty cool."

Surprisingly, Clark snickered. "I guess. Not everyone sees it that way."

"I suppose I can understand that. But I think it's amazing. I think you're pretty amazing, but I thought that before I found this out. Just so you know."

A thin smile. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Tentatively, Lex reached out and touched Clark's hand. "We're friends, right?"

He didn't know what to expect, but when Clark's fingers curled around his and gave them a comforting squeeze, Lex felt a sudden burst of hope ... and strength.

Even if Clark didn't regain his powers, Lex would figure out a way to save them both. Alexander and Kal had their dark bond, maybe, but the bond he and Clark had was stronger.

It had to be. And the coming days would prove it true.

* * *

tbc ...

Thank you all for the lovely reviews. They are very inspiring. Please keep letting me know what you think.


	4. Born to be Wild

Summary: Alexander's back ... (Post Oynx) Disclaimer: These characters belong to DC Comics as interpreted by GoughMillar Ink. No copyright infringement is intended.  
Reviews: All types are longed for and appreciated. 

Songs in the Key of Longing - Chapter Four

* * *

A bright red Ferrari sped down the highway to Metropolis, techno music pounding wildly through five thousand-dollar speakers. 

Alexander drove, sunglasses shielding his eyes from the low-setting sun. The top was down and Kal's dark hair whipped around his hardened, coldly beautiful features. He stared straight ahead, silently, looking all the more dangerous for it.

Alexander didn't seem to notice. He was too wrapped up in his glee and babbled away excitedly, like a kid getting ready to rob a candy store. "First stop is Sommerholt. They have some technology there that might be very useful to us."

"Like what?" Kal asked, still staring off into the rapidly passing distance.

"Mind-wiping, memory-enhancing, brainwashing ... all sorts of things that might come in handy, once I formulate my entire plan. Then we can hit Cadmus, Star Labs ... " Alexander paused, a wicked grin lining his face. "But first, we stop by the bank. For a withdrawal."

"Do billionaires really have to make withdrawals?" Kal asked. "I thought they just spouted money out their noses whenever they needed some."

"It's always good to have some cash," Alexander explained. "Besides, who said it was my money we were going to withdraw?"

At this, Kal looked interested. Very interested. "Are you suggesting we rob one of these fine monetary institutions?"

"Why not? A little diversion on the road to glory never hurt. Besides, I want to see you in action. For research purposes," Alexander said sweetly. He lowered his sunglasses an inch and looked at Kal meaningfully. "Think you can empty the vault before the police receive the alarm?"

A half-smile curved Kal's lips. "I think so."

Alexander turned off at the nearest exit. The sleek red car squealed to a stop in front of a tiny bank at the very edge of the highway. "I'm giving you thirty seconds. Everything in the vault and bonus points for emptying the tellers' drawers," he said, looking at his watch. "In one ... two ... GO!"

A rush of wind, a few loud _bangs_! and barely ten seconds had passed before Kal was back in the car, effortlessly tossing five, huge burlap bags in the back seat. "The light is green," he said, nodding at the traffic signal. "We wouldn't want to get a ticket now, would we?"

Automatically, Alexander hit the gas and the car took off, burning rubber before swinging back onto the highway. Practically glowing, he turned to Kal. "You're fucking amazing, my friend. Just amazing."

"That wasn't exactly a challenge," Kal shrugged. "If these are your big plans ..."

"Oh no," Alexander demurred passionately. "Trust me, my plans are bigger than any you could imagine."

Kal snickered darkly. "You have no idea the size of the plans I can imagine."

"World-sized plans, perhaps?"

Kal turned his eyes back to the passing road, his face set as if in stone. "Something like that ..."

* * *

In the wine cellar, an exhausted Clark slept curled up on the floor, with Lex's torn-off suit jacket folded beneath his head. 

For Lex, as tired as he was, sleep refused to come. His mind kept moving in swift circles over recent events ... admissions ... the argument he had with Clark.

An alien. It was true, he hadn't dreamt of that as a possibility. The odds against it were astronomical but what Lex refused to learn was that in Smallville, odds meant nothing. Instinct meant more and maybe he should have followed his better ones, the ones that cautioned patience, the small voices that told him Clark might eventually open up if he waited and relaxed about the entire thing.

But Alexander, the impatient, insatiably curious part of Lex's soul refused to know reason. In hindsight, now clear of the psychotic impulsiveness of his dark half, Lex's actions over the past four years in regard to Clark seemed so out of line. That ridiculous "keepsake" room, the investigations, the skirting and flirting with disaster all in the name of finding out Clark's secret or else ... what the hell had he been thinking?

Alexander forced Lex to turn friendship into a game, one that he would win or die trying. Sort of like his relationship with his father, Lionel. Lex could see his father in a clearer light now -- all his machinations that would have been so much easier to deal with if Lex chose to ignore many of them. It would be easy not to let Lionel push Lex's buttons any more, because those buttons were gone.

God, if only he'd been free of his dark side since day one. How much different -- and better -- his life would have been.

If ... no ... _when_ they escaped from this prison, maybe he would consider locking Alexander up somewhere. Somewhere where he couldn't wreck the endless havoc he'd been plying through Lex's life for all these years.

Where he couldn't hurt Clark ever again.

Lex heard a quiet moan from Clark. He edged over and saw that his friend was still asleep, his face locked in a grimace of pain.

Gently, Lex ran his hand over the warm forehead, pushing damp hair away from Clark's tightly shut eyes. The tiny Kryptonite shards still lingered just beneath the skin, weakening, maybe even poisoning him. If only he'd told Lex about his reaction to the rocks, but then again, maybe he'd been wise not to.

Back then, Lex wasn't the man he was at this moment. He honestly couldn't say how noble his intentions would have been toward Clark and his awesome abilities once the secret was known -- especially the secret of his one weakness. Maybe Lex would have tried, really tried to be a good friend, a protector, but Alexander had a way of screwing up the best of Lex's intentions.

Subconsciously ... consciously ... things could have turned out horribly and Lex wondered if he'd ever know the whole truth about himself. All those things going wrong, all those destructive "accidents" that might not have been accidents, all those "protective" lies ... maybe they were never what they seemed.

Maybe what Alexander told the Kents was true. Maybe he'd been the villain all along, except that he didn't know it.

Or refused to admit it.

Sighing deeply, Lex sprinkled some fresh water on the crumpled handkerchief and pressed it to Clark's fevered skin. It was time to concentrate on the present, at least until they escaped and Kal and Alexander were stopped. Because for all of Lex's uncertainties, this was one thing he was determined to do -- for himself and for Clark.

"What time is it?" Clark murmured tiredly, his eyes still closed.

Lex glanced at his wristwatch, which, thankfully, had survived the explosion. "Two a.m."

"You should get some sleep."

"Easier said than done. Speaking of sleep, did I wake you up? If so, I'm sorry. You looked feverish."

"I'm okay."

An obvious lie, but Lex didn't call him on it. "You mentioned that your parents were going to be in Metropolis until Monday at the hospital for your Dad's heart tests. Is there any chance of them getting suspicious about your absence from the farm before then?"

"Not really," Clark sighed. "If I'm not around for a while, they'll figure I turned into Kal, like I did a couple of times before. They'll probably end up searching for me in Metropolis, not knowing there are two of us. I've never split up into separate people before."

"But you've turned into Kal before?"

"Yeah, a few times. Red Kryptonite is what does it. Turns me into a mean piece of shit"

"I guess that explains a few things," Lex said, remembering instances of Clark's oddly aggressive behavior. "Okay, I guess we can count outside rescue out since everyone will be chasing 'us' through the city. We'll have to figure a way to free ourselves." A sigh as he examined the steel bolt holding their chains the floor. "Boy, we sure could use MacGyver right around now."

Clark laughed weakly. "MacGyver? Don't tell me you watched that."

"Why? Something wrong with MacGyver?" Lex smiled. "As a kid, I loved that show. That and Inspector Gadget reruns. Remember him? He arms that would stretch across the room and retractable stilts for legs."

"No. The only cartoon I'll admit to is the one with the turtles and if you tell anyone, I'll deny it."

"I'll bet you watched Underdog as well."

"Oh, yeah. A flying dog in a cape," Clark mocked. "That was so stupid."

"I suppose it was. But even stupid things can be enjoyable," Lex said, pulling the chains up, until most of the links were in his lap. "Okay, I'm going to go over these link by link first, while you go back to sleep. Maybe there's a chink in one of them or a weakness in the bolt here. If not, we'll go to Plan B."

"And Plan B is?"

"Praying that Underdog will come and rescue us."

"That's some alternate plan, Lex."

Reaching down, Lex ruffled Clark's hair. "When you get a better one, let me know. Now rest. And hope our 'other' halves haven't figured out how to blow up the planet yet."

And that we'll get to them before they do, Lex thought.

tbc ...

* * *

I'm enjoying everyone's reviews immensely. Please keep them coming. Thanks!  



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